Still other tweaks do seem to have a real effect on…
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As in any community bound tightly together by shared enthusiasms, the High End is regularly swept by tides of fashion. Some of the fads prove to be based on something of value, and outlast the initial burst: loudspeaker spikes and Tiptoes, for example, or the resurgence of tube designs, or making use of high-quality passive components. Other fads, particularly if not based on good engineering, fall by the wayside. (Does anyone still use a Tice Clock in their system? Or suspend their cables and interconnects on little acrylic bridges?)
The acoustic environment for music reproduction is easily the most overlooked source of sonic degradation. Many fine playback systems are compromised by room-induced anomalies that severely color the reproduced sound. When we live in a world of directional wire, high-end AC power cords, and $4000 CD transports, paying attention to the listening room's contribution to the musical experience takes on greater urgency.
Audiophilia's underestimation of a room's effect on musical fidelity can be traced to two causes: 1) the science of acoustics is quite mathematical and arcane, and 2) acoustic…
This concept is far from new. Olson and May, in a 1953 Journal of the Acoustical Society of America paper, described a system called a "free field zone type sound reducer." It consisted of a microphone, amplifier, and loudspeaker set in a loop to define an acoustic region of low pressure. They further described mounting the device in the room corners to maximize its effect by presenting it with the large acoustic load present there.
When a room is pressurized by sound, the pressure is not evenly distributed throughout the room. Instead, high-pressure zones are created along most of the…
Sidebar 1: System
The playback system used to evaluate the Shadows consisted of Vortex Screen and TDL Reference Standard loudspeakers (the TDLs are reviewed in this issue), VTL 225W tube and Muse Model One Hundred Fifty monoblocks, Marantz CD-94 CD player, and AR turntable with an Ortofon MC-200 cartridge. The preamps were a Conrad-Johnson Premier Seven (phono) and a passive unit made by Electronic Visionary Systems (CD). Speaker cable was AudioQuest Clear, and interconnects were van den Hul and Solid Core Technologies ST-04. All AC power was supplied from a Tice Audio Titan/Powerblock…
Sidebar 2: Specifications
Description: Floor-standing, active column for attenuating low-frequency resonances in listening rooms.
Dimensions: Column: 31" circumference (36.5" including base), 9.5" diameter (15" including base), 84" high; outboard power supply: 6.5" W by 2.25" H by 8.5" D, not including feet or rear-panel jacks.
Price: $2500/pair (1989); no longer available (2007). Approximate number of dealers: 60.
Manufacturer: Phantom Acoustics, distributed by InConcert, Auburn, CA (1989).
To many audiophiles, the name Boston Acoustics is synonymous with mass-market budget loudspeakers. Although many of its products have offered good value for the money, Boston Acoustics has never been known for driving the envelope of high-priced loudspeaker design (footnote 1). The company has been content to churn out well-designed, affordable boxes and let others attempt state-of-the-art loudspeakers. Until now.
In early 1991, Boston Acoustics began "The Lynnfield Project," an ambitious effort to develop a line of high-end loudspeakers that would push the edge of current loudspeaker…
The tweeter AMD is injection-molded from high-temperature, glass-filled nylon. This technique assures the closer tolerances (±0.001") necessary for accurate tuning of the tubes to much shorter wavelengths. This is a novel approach to loudspeaker design—rather than try to suppress cone ringing, the AMDs simply attenuate it before it can reach the listener.
While this is a clever idea, I was concerned about diffraction from the large structures in front of the midrange and so close to the tweeter. Most designs avoid protrusions from the baffle, sometimes even flush-mounting the heads of…
Music
For all the work and dedicated engineering that went into the 500L, I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy my time with the speaker. It did some things well—which I'll describe—but it was overall just too bright and forward-balanced for my taste. The treble was aggressive and overly prominent, constantly reminding me that I was listening to loudspeakers. Although the Thiel CS3.6 is also forward and immediate-sounding, it isn't aggressive or strident. In addition, the CS3.6's immediacy covers the entire band—the 500L sounded forward only in the treble.
For all the work and dedicated engineering that went into the 500L, I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy my time with the speaker. It did some things well—which I'll describe—but it was overall just too bright and forward-balanced for my taste. The treble was aggressive and overly prominent, constantly reminding me that I was listening to loudspeakers. Although the Thiel CS3.6 is also forward and immediate-sounding, it isn't aggressive or strident. In addition, the CS3.6's immediacy covers the entire band—the 500L sounded forward only in the treble.
The violins in Handel's…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, four-piece dynamic loudspeaker system. Driver complement: two 6.5" woofers, one 5.25" aluminum-cone midrange, one 1" aluminum-dome tweeter. Crossover frequencies: 125Hz, 2.6kHz. Frequency response: 32Hz–35kHz ±3dB. Sensitivity: 85dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 5 ohms. Recommended amplifier power: up to 350W.
Overall dimensions: 9" W by 48" H by 18.25" D. Bass unit dimensions: 9" W by 36.75" H by 18.25" D. Overall weight: 100 lbs each.
Finish: rosewood or black ash veneer.
Serial numbers of samples reviewed: LD00173A/B.
Prices: $…
Sidebar 2: System Details
Amplification was provided by a Mark Levinson No.23.5, a pair of VTL 225W monoblocks, and the excellent and reasonably priced 50W class-A Forté Model 4. The preamp was the usual Audio Research LS2B, with AudioQuest Lapis (balanced or unbalanced, depending on the power amplifier) connecting the preamp to the power amplifiers. The digital source included a Mark Levinson No.31 transport driving a Mark Levinson No.30 processor via Madrigal MDC-1 AES/EBU interface. LP playback was provided by a heavily modified Well-Tempered Turntable and Arm fitted with an…